The invention broadly relates to cartons formed from unitary blanks of paperboard, and is more particularly concerned with cartons in the nature of carriers including a box or basket portion which receives the articles, and an upwardly projecting handle for a carrying of the carton received articles.
An example of a dual compartment or two pack carrier of the general type herein involved will be noted in U.S. Pat. No. 5,069,335, issued to Beales on Dec. 3, 1991.
Cartons of this type are particularly adapted for carrying two bottles or cans received within separate compartments defined by a transverse positioning of the handle across the basket. The Beales carrier is also modular, that is capable of being joined to a duplicate carrier or carton to define a four compartment or four pack carrier supportable by a combined handle readily held in one hand.
In the Beales carrier, dual interlocks are provided between the two duplicate modules at opposite ends of the basket. A separate joinder is provided between the handles adjacent the upper ends thereof. In requiring interlocks at three separate locations, manipulation to join the Beales cartons is relatively complex. Specifically, the baskets are interlocked by a lateral movement thereof toward each other, while the handles require a transverse movement thereof relative to each other at right angles to the basket-interlocking movement.
It will also be noted that the latching tongue of Beales forms a projection laterally outward of the plane of one side of the carton which could interfere with the storing of the carton within a larger box or on a refrigerator shelf. In addition, formation of the Beales tongue beyond one edge of the blank will result in substantial waste of material as adjacent blanks are cut from a continuous sheet.